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Battle Lines Are Drawn On Sotomayor Nomination

Lecturer in Law Kevin Russel is quoted in The Washington Post in an article about President Obama's nomination of Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court:

The White House enlisted lawyers and constitutional experts to say that in Sotomayor's 17 years on the federal bench, she has been a cautious jurist who respects precedent. But conservative legal groups countered that her remarks in speeches and symposiums bolster their claims that she is a liberal activist waiting to flower on the high court. One prominent conservative accused her of "reverse" racism, and another called her a "wild-eyed judicial activist."

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... lawyers recruited by the White House to talk about Sotomayor as a judge offered assessments such as "lawyer's lawyer" and "one who cares a lot about craft."

Kevin Russell, a Washington lawyer who practices before the Supreme Court and has analyzed some of Sotomayor's work, was part of the group.

He said in an interview that Sotomayor "looks an awful lot like Justice Souter" and would be left of center on the court. "The left is probably on solid ground to think she will vote on their side," he said.